![]() ![]() Just as we need a foundation to build a house we need effective sensory processing for the development of our skills. Whilst some structures may be able to be developed without the support of the foundations it does not become a structurally sound ‘house’ without good foundations. Our sensory system is the foundation of our skill development and is like laying the foundations for a house. How do we know where our body is, how do we know to shift our balance between our feet, shift the balance of our body, know when our foot has touched the step without even looking? We know because each of our sensory system is telling us what is happening and helping us to generate appropriate responses. Let’s think about just the simple action of walking down a step something which we are able to do without looking or even thinking about. They provide us with information about where our body is in space, how our body is moving, what impact the environment is having on our body, what is happening in the environment and help us in knowing how to effectively respond to task and environmental demands. The senses provide us with essential information about our own body and the environment in which we function. ![]() What role do the senses play in development? For example they may unable to up their buttons or find their pencil in their pencil case without looking (Miller, 2006)Ĭhildren can present with a combination of sensory processing patterns or may only have one of the above discussed difficulties. They need additional time to process sensory information and their capacity to perceive the information as quickly and naturally as other children do is reduced. This is where the child experiences difficulty distinguishing between similar sensations. difficulty remaining in an upright sitting position for writing tasks (Miller, 2006) Postural Disorder – These children have difficulty maintaining enough control of their bodies to meet the demands of a given motor task e.g. Dyspraxia – These children have difficult processing sensory information to create physical, unfamiliar or sequenced movements e.g. This is where the child has trouble controlling, planning and supporting their movements into a smooth, coordinated and sequence way. running around during group time (Miller, 2006) Sensory Seeking – These children have a intense craving for sensory experiences and will actively seek this out, often in ways that aren’t matched or appropriate to the environment e.g. having a high pain threshold (Miller, 2006) ![]() Sensory Under-Responsivity – These children show less of a response to sensory input than would be expected for the situation, they take longer to respond and require more intense input before they even respond e.g. becoming really upset when touched by another child standing in line (Miller, 2006) Sensory Over-Responsivity (sensory defensiveness) This is where children respond more intensely & faster for longer durations e.g. The child experiences difficulty processing sensory information into appropriate behaviours/responses which match the intensity of the sensory information (Miller, 2006) There are 3 main types of sensory processing disorders: (Taken from Miller, 2006 ‘Sensational Kids’) It can also lead to difficulty in using sensory information to plan and organise our own body & make sense of the environment in which we function thus impacting on our ability to learn. The result of this is a decreased ability to respond to sensory information in order to behave in a meaningful & consistent way. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is an inability to process information received through our senses for generating appropriate responses. Simultaneously our body produces a physiological response increased heart rate, rise in blood pressure, fine sweat. We unconsciously interpret the information into a behavioural response of rushing to the kitchen and turning off the toaster. For example if we are cooking toast and smell it burning we don’t have to stop and think what to do. Majority of us are born with the capacity to receive sensory information and organise it effortlessly into appropriate behavioural and physiological responses. ‘Sensory Processing’ is the way in which the nervous system receives sensory messages and generates them into responses. What is Sensory Processing? What is Sensory Processing Disorder? Types of Sensory Processing Disorders: What role do the senses play in development? What some of the indicators of a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)? Diagnosis of a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD): Treatment for SPD: What techniques may be used during the treatment process? What are the expected outcomes of the treatment? Sensory Processing Sensational Kids OT – Sensory Specialists ![]()
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